Analysis of São Paulo: elimination in additions is the summary of the shame of recent years | Saint Paul

The plot could be normal in any club, after all it is only possible to have one champion in each competition played and eliminations are more common than titles. However, the way these disqualifications occurred is that it makes São Paulo accumulate shame after shame.

In a recent cut, Tricolor was eliminated by five teams with little expression on the soccer scene. The São Paulo fan may not even be able to list the most irritating and painful drop:

• 2017 – Defense and Justice-ARG (first phase of the Copa Sul-Americana);
• 2018 – Colón-ARG (second phase of the South American Cup);
• 2019 – Talleres-ARG (second phase of the Libertadores);
• 2020 – Mirassol (Paulistão quarter-finals);
• 2020 – Lanús-ARG (second phase of the South American Cup).

Last Wednesday, the shame was due to the last minutes of the game and the succession of events that occurred in an interval of ten minutes.

São Paulo went to halftime defeated 2 to 1. To advance, the team needed to win by two goals difference. To decide on penalties, it was necessary to win 3-2.

Then, coach Fernando Diniz went all or nothing to the final stage. Still at halftime, he took out defender Diego Costa and promoted the entry of forward Pablo. The team became more offensive and came to dominate the game completely.

It took Pablo 16 minutes to tie the game 2-2. But São Paulo needed one more to go to penalties. Unable to hit the target, the team changed once again, in the 35th minute of the second half: defender Bruno Alves came out through the entrance of attacking midfielder Vitor Bueno.

With these two changes, Tricolor began to play in a completely offensive formation, with Reinaldo acting as defense, a line of three in the midfield (Gabriel Sara, Luan and Daniel Alves) and six players in attack.

The suffocation worked: a goal against in minute 41 and another in minute 44, by Gabriel Sara. São Paulo at that time qualified with the partial victory of 4 to 2.

Perhaps even the most pessimistic São Paulo did not imagine what was to come. To hold the result and avoid hitting balls in the area, Diniz took forwards Brenner and Luciano to the entrances of defenders Arboleda and Leo.

A minute later, the worst happened: Orsini’s goal after a distraction in the center of the defense and a shower of cold water fell on São Paulo. All the effort was gone in a split second.

After all these twists and turns of the players to turn the tables, you may wonder: but can you consider it a shame? Isn’t that too much of an exaggeration for what the team presented?

The answer comes through the numbers and the condition of the opponent. When São Paulo faced Lanús in the first leg, on October 28, the Argentine team had not played an official match in 226 days (seven months). Tricolor had already been working at a high level for almost four months. Even so, he lost 3-2.

For the duel last Wednesday, São Paulo had the part of the soul at its peak, after beating Flamengo 4 to 1, in Maracaná, and making one of its best games of the season. It appears that last Sunday’s historic victory had no effect on fueling the team. Lanús entered the defense as they wanted and scored three more.

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In other words, in two games São Paulo scored six goals for a team that lacked the rapport and pace of the game at its peak. This team is far from being a powerhouse.

The elimination at 47 minutes of the second half not only increased the list of disappointments but also summarized (again) the recent history of shame. Now, there is the Copa do Brasil (quarter-finals) and the Brazilian Championship. In the latter, the team has 30 points, in fifth place, with three games less. And the next game will be on Saturday, at 7:00 p.m., against Goiás, in Morumbi.